The construction work of Jeddah Tower, touted to be the world’s largest building, has resumed in Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah after a hiatus of seven years, reports said. Once completed, the 1,000-metre (3,280 feet) tower will surpass Burj Khalifa by more than 500 feet.
Jeddah Economic Company (JEC), the group behind the project, said the construction work is expected to be completed by 2028.
The construction of the skyscraper began in 2013 and was scheduled to be completed by 2020. However, the project hit a roadblock during the anti-corruption campaign in the kingdom, with its main contractor and financial backers being detained.
A CNN report claims that Kingdom Holding Company, led by Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, was one the project’s main backers. Alwaleed was among those arrested during the anti-graft campaign though he was released after three months.
“We’re back,” Alwaleed posted on X along with a video showing a digital rendering of the gleaming tower.
The main contractor of the skyscraper is Saudi Binladen Group led by Bakr bin Laden, half-brother of Osama bin Laden. Baker was also embroiled in the anti-corruption drive and was released in 2021, three years after his arrest.
The CNN report claims that at present 63 of the tower’s 157 stories have been built. Jeddah Tower will offer a mix of office, retail, and residential spaces. The tower was designed by US architect Adrian Smith.
Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building at present, is 828 metre (2717 ft) tall.
